Review: Da Vinci's Laundry (Riverside Studios)

Review by Ria Tanaka

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When most people think of the art world, they think of skilled artists displaying their thought provoking works in magnificent galleries across the globe. In Keenan Kember’s new play, Da Vinci’s Laundry, he introduces us to a world full of fraud, romance, and Russian gangsters. Two art salespeople up against a real-life Da Vinci, or a not so real Da Vinci? Packed with laughs, Kember takes us on a thrilling journey exploring the absurdity of the high-value art world.

Walking into the theatre at the Riverside Studios, we were first met with its immaculate set, designed by Ellie Wintour. Inspired by the white-cube gallery, it’s gleaming walls, plinths and canvases paired with the sophisticated, familiar melody of Vivaldi’s Spring brought to life the perfect illusion of an untouchable high-value art market. The contrast between this image and the chaos that ensues, brilliantly highlighted the irony of the play. On a plinth, set upstage centre was also a copy of none other than Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog. It being the only actual piece of art that us audience members saw, it served as a clever statement of how shallow the world of art and art collecting can be. The lighting design by Jack Hathaway also brought a more contemporary feel to the set, projecting vivid colours onto the white cube as if it were his own canvas.

Inspired by a conversation with a friend from the art world, much of the comedy derives from real life. The fact that many of the things mentioned in the play are true makes the piece even more funny and absurd. I still can’t get over how the most expensive painting ever sold at an auction, Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, was a fake. Many of the characters Kember has created, along side Merle Wheldon’s brilliant direction are also the perfect reflection of this egotistical world we are introduced to, and with such a talented and skilled cast of actors to portray these roles it was such a treat to witness the different dynamics come together on stage.

I particularly enjoyed Steve Zissis’ performance as Tony, your stereotypical, military-obsessed American. Probably the most outrageous and at times infuriating character, Zissis’ portrayal of Tony fizzed with energy. I think at times that energy did affect his performance slightly, however overall, the comedy Zissi brought to the stage was truly brilliant. The character of Tony also really shows how intelligent Kember’s writing is. Filled with gags about American politics, I had a fantastic time laughing about capitalism, guns and the male ego. Though naturally this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I believe it made for some entertaining and clever theatre.

  The dynamic between Tony and the characters Milly, played by Arsema Thomas, and Christopher, played by Kember himself, was also really interesting to watch. Milly and Christopher being the two art salespeople who take us on this rollercoaster of a journey, really help the play stay grounded in reality amongst the chaos. This was done with such skill by both Thomas and Kember. It was wonderful seeing Thomas portray Milly as such a strong, professional woman who was never afraid to use her voice, especially being the only female-presenting individual in the play. I was also incredibly impressed to see Kember’s skills as an actor. His posh-boy charm he brought to Christopher was a joy to watch, especially seeing how he interacted with all the outrageous characters we were introduced to throughout.

I couldn’t sing this plays praises without mentioning John Albasiny’s portrayal of Boris, a hard-core Russian “aluminium salesman” and implied gangster. Boris, whose character could easily slip into being played as a caricature of a Russian mobster was acted so authentically by Albasiny. Very similarly, Fayez Bakhsh’s Prince was equally as human yet so individual. His portrayal of the character was the splitting image of what you imagine when you think of the rich Arab men living in Knightsbridge. This is also not to say both characters did not bring any comedy to the piece, in fact their inflated egos and ruthlessness was so extreme at times you could not help but laugh.

Da Vinci’s Laundry is a smart, funny and chaotic deep dive into the madness of the art world. It’s sharp, stylish, and full of heart, managing to make you laugh while also poking at some pretty big questions about value and authenticity. Kember’s writing is witty and fearless, the cast is fantastic, and the design ties everything together beautifully. Whether you’re an art lover or someone who just enjoys a good bit of satire, this play is a real treat — and you’ll probably leave the theatre grinning, wondering what’s real and what’s just really well sold. Who knew the high-value art world could get so wild.

Da Vinci’s Laundry plays at Riverside Studios until October 25th

For tickets and information visit https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/da-vincis-laundry-194901/

Photos by Teddy Cavendish